McCann listens closely in Braves camp

By Chris Kline
March 29, 2005

Spring Training Dish • Dodgers catcher Russell Martin

WINTER HAVEN, Fla.--Rafael Furcal stands with Wilson Betemit and Esix Snead in the visiting clubhouse at Chain O' Lakes Park, telling stories and laughing in the corner of the room. Chipper Jones grabs a cup of water from the cooler and chimes in.

The pitching staff is nowhere to be seen, but it's all Brian McCann can think about. As he sits next to Raul Mondesi, you'd think the 21-year-old catcher's mind might be wandering even a little bit.

But you would be wrong.

"All I'm thinking about is what I have to do," McCann said. "It's been an awesome experience to be up here with guys that have been where you've been and have gone on to have such amazing success in the big leagues. I'm just trying to take everything in from (Johnny) Estrada and Eddie Perez about certain things and soak it all up as best I can."

McCann had a breakout season last year at Class A Myrtle Beach, where he batted .278-16-66 in 385 at-bats. Perhaps the most impressive stat in his big bat was the .494 slugging percentage he put up at Coastal Federal Field, one of the best pitching parks in the minors.

But everyone knows about the bat. McCann's stick has been his calling card since he was a second-round pick in 2002 out of Duluth (Ga.) High. It's the defense that's been overlooked--until recently.

McCann threw out 30 percent of basestealers at Myrtle Beach. Managers, coaches and his pitchers alike all raved about how he handled the staff.

"Brian is much more than a solid bat in the lineup," righthander Zach Miner said. "Yeah, he's definitely that, but there's a whole lot more there. He's really developed into an all-around player. A lot of people who think he's just a bat are missing half the story."

His defensive improvement, coupled with his strong bat, makes McCann one of the minors' best catching prospects. He realizes the emphasis he must place on the defensive part of the game at his position.

"I know that staying in the big leagues as a catcher, especially in such a pitcher-oriented organization, I have to get better," McCann said. "I still have to get better at calling a game and studying hitters' tendencies and those aspects of the game."

McCann caught two innings Monday, including one by righthander Buddy Hernandez. He also went 0-for-1 in his lone plate appearance, rolling over to second base against Indians lefthander Victor Kleine.

He spent the offseason working out with his brother, Brad, a sixth-round pick of the Marlins in 2004 who plays third base. Through that work, he lost nearly 15 pounds, hoping to slim down a bit to help his agility behind the plate.

"He's pretty well put together, so I wanted to take a couple pages out of his book," McCann said of his older brother. "I worked real hard in the offseason to stay quick and watch what I eat, working out all the time. I'm trimmer this year than I ever have been, so hopefully that'll help."

So will the nonroster invite to big league camp and the occasional callup to the major league roster--even if it's only for a game in the spring. Ticketed for Double-A Mississippi, McCann is soaking up the knowledge in his spring surroundings.

"You just try to listen to everything--I don't even talk--I just try to take everything in and learn what I can," he said. "It's definitely a great experience that I'm going to take into this year with me. We want to win a championship in our first year in Mississippi and this is the first step for me."

SPRING THINGS

• The Astros don't feel Willy Taveras is quite ready to make the jump to the big leagues, and could be in the market for a center fielder, according to several scouts. Houston has tried out Jason Lane in center this spring with mixed results. There have been rumors the Astros have approached the Nationals about Ryan Church, who has been relegated to fourth outfielder duty in Washington. The club took a long look at Luke Scott in big league camp this spring, but Scott is a corner outfielder at best. Church has played center field since college, and has enough range and enough arm to play right. He also has more experience than Scott, who has not advanced beyond Double-A, even though both players are 26 years old.

• Lefthander Ryan Rowland-Smith, a major league Rule 5 pick of the Twins, was sent back to the Mariners for $25,000--half of what the Twins paid Seattle to acquire him. Rowland-Smith, a native of Australia, went 5-3, 3.79 in 100 innings at Class A Inland Empire last season.

• In Arizona, the Athletics have given in to temptation and put Marcus McBeth on the mound. The former South Carolina outfielder was an excellent defensive center fielder, but his career average in the minors was .233, coupled with 236 strikeouts in 262 games, and his above-average arm was too good to pass up giving a chance as a pitcher.